


Party Hopping

by laura_waterhouse



Series: Reese-Mindy AU [4]
Category: The Mindy Project, The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: Cross Over, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-25
Updated: 2014-07-25
Packaged: 2018-02-10 10:33:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2021775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laura_waterhouse/pseuds/laura_waterhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mindy and Reese in New Year’s Eve parties.<br/>Danny does not exist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Party Hopping

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the news that BJ Novak would be guesting for the Newsroom, although his character did little in this story.

What are you doing here?

Your mom brought me.

Why would my mom bring you here?

Ah (paused as if thinking), it’s none of your business?

Seriously, Mindy, you are not my girlfriend, you broke up with me, so stop stalking me and stop hanging around my mom.

Exqueezemoi. I am not stalking you. And I will never stop hanging out with your mom because she has the sickest access to all the cool parties with movie stars. We are actually going to one later tonight. (Mindy storms away)  
~+~+~+~  
Reese is such a sick, self entitled brat, isn’t he? (A blond haired boy with the bluest eyes slips to her side and hands her wine. Mindy’s interest is perked up)

Thanks. (She fluttered her eyelashes, as if shy)

I’m Jamie. (He extended his arm)

Dr. Mindy Lahiri. (She shook his hand) I’m with Leona. So you heard that, huh? 

Yeah, pretty intense. I’m Charlie Skinner’s son. You do know the guy throwing this party, right? The one with the ridiculous bow tie.

Yeah, your dad is a sweetheart.

He can be very deceptive. So I hope Reese didn’t ruin your mood for the party. He had always been a grinch since we were kids.

You knew him when he was little? Not that he ever grew up. (She regretted letting that slip when she realized Jamie is also not on the tall side). I mean…

Don’t worry, I am not offended. But you were saying?

Well, you would have done the world a great favor if you never let him grew up; you should have pushed him off the swing or something. But good thing, he doesn’t affect me. As far as I am concerned he is dead, having been run over and flattened by a ten-wheeler truck.

That is a very good visual. When our families went on joint vacations, I used to imagine throwing him off airplanes or boats into the Atlantic Ocean where hungry sharks awaits his descent. He was older and bulkier than me though, so I never got around to doing that.

I actually like that too, I can see sharks biting his head and limbs off, fighting over his small, meaty body. (They both laughed.)

I am glad that you are still in a good mood. I want everyone pumped up coz I’ll be hosting awesome games later.

Really? You have to give me tips so I can win.

(Jamie smiles)

Jaime, there you are. (A passing blonde girl introduced by Leona earlier as Charlie’s daughter stopped by) Lucy just arrived with her dad. They’ve been looking for you.

Oh, okay. Anyway, this is my sister, Molly, and this is Mindy, Reese’s NOT girlfriend.

Huh? Oh, yeah, Leona introduced us earlier. Hi Mindy. Jamie, go to the study. I think Arthur is not staying for long. 

Okay. I’ll see you later Mindy.

Okay. (Mindy sadly watched him go. She was just getting the hang of flirting with him.)  
~+~+~+~

(Charlie giving a toast) I know all of you have better parties to be attending right now, and that you are all here just because you have to be and also in exchange for not being assigned to the evening countdown broadcast… or (Charlie turned to a couch where his kids sat) in the case of my only son and two daughters, well three with Lucy, because they are afraid every holiday they absent themselves from means an additional percentage of debt to be inherited in their name… despite all your reluctance, I am still gonna be thanking you all as if you came here with sincere willingness. The leaving year had seen us with so many things to be sorry about, but I believe the coming year…

(Mindy stopped listening, with her eyes lingering on the couch. Leona is on one side chatting with Molly, in the middle is another blond girl with her eyes adoringly looking up to her father, and on the other edge is Jamie, whose neck is being choked – in Mindy’s perception - by a red-haired woman sitting on the arm of the couch. This must be Lucy.)  
~+~+~+~

Come on, Leona, you have to stay. (Jamie, who witnessed Leona say her goodbye to Charlie a moment earlier, was trying to stop her).

Darling, I can’t. I have to make a quick stop at another event before I settle into an A-lister party later.

I am ready. (Mindy appeared beside Leona)

And you are taking Mindy too? (Jamie looked panicked)

This little girl here wouldn’t forgive me if we don’t spend enough time at the Danny De Vito hosted party.

Really? We’ll be having suck-and-blow-card game. The card is impossible to suck, so I’m sure people will be sucking faces the whole time. It’s gonna be awesome. You can’t miss it Mindy.

That sounds awfully like something 4th graders will do, but is that the same thing as Clueless and can you give me one of those un-suckable cards so I can initiate a game like that and maybe end up sucking faces with Michael Fassbender in case he’d be at the party. He could be there, Leona, right?

(Leona nodded as if it was a 5 year old who asked her).

Well, I can text you the mechanics if you give me your number.

That flowed lamely, little boy. (Leona patted Jamie’s shoulder).

Yeah, are you trying to pick me up?

I’m just thinking of calling you sometime.

(Leona shakes her head)

You have a girlfriend. (Mindy said, unbelieving how casual Jamie seems to be about this.)

Who? Oh no, not Lucy?

Well, yeah. I can see that she is basically part of your family.

She is family, but Lucy is not my girlfriend, she is my best friend. Tell her Leona.

I am not gonna say anything on that. (Leona looked like she didn’t care about the conversation).

What? (Jamie casts a questioning look at Leona, then, turned his head to the crowd behind them). Wait, Lucy, come here please.

Hi. (Lucy walks in).

Lucy, this is Mindy. Can you please tell her that you are not my girlfriend and that it is okay with you if she gives me her number?

By all means. Jaime drives me crazy when he doesn’t have another text mate. Please take some of his time off mine so I can concentrate on important lawsuits. Which reminds me Leona, I heard about Rebecca’s strategy on the case against Dantana, brilliant. Please tell her I am such a huge fan.

Oh, I will. I’ll be seeing her at a party I am attending later. Maybe you could join us so you could meet her. I’m sure she’d love to pirate you off to her firm.

Haha, I don’t think I’ll be getting out of cleaning duties here later, some other time, maybe. (Lucy’s definitely acting like she is part of the household).

So Mindy, your number?

Oh, okay. (Mindy was pretty surprised at Lucy’s coolness on the topic. But whatever, if Lucy doesn’t want Jamie, Mindy would definitely take him. She recites her number while Jaime encodes in his phone. Leona didn’t look too happy).

I think our ride is about to leave. (Leona gazed at the direction of Reese who was coming up). What was taking you so long? (Leona starts pulling Mindy away).

Why were you waiting for me? (Reese looked puzzled).  
~+~+~+~

(Outside, Reese waits for his car). Why are you riding with me?

I sent Geraldo home already so he can prepare for New Year’s Eve. (Leona answered like Reese should have expected what she did, even though he really had no reason to).

So, you did that and now you… and your minion… have to get a ride with me.

(Mindy raised a hand to her waist and opened her mouth in indignation, but Leona squeezed her arms as if to calm her down)

What is wrong with that? We are going to the same media event. And how can I rob Geraldo of the chance to watch fireworks with his new grandson? Just because I cannot be a grandparent doesn’t mean I should rob others of their opportunities to be so.

Robbing opportunities is your thing. But enough of that, just get inside, we’d be late. (Reese did not want to drag the grandkids conversation further. He went around to the other side of the car).

Mindy, get in first. I like to sit beside the window. (Leona pushed Mindy down into the car.)

(Mindy has an inkling of what Leona is doing but couldn’t pass up on an opportunity to annoy Reese).

Oh, please. (Reese groaned. With security on the front seat, Reese had no choice but to sit beside her).  
~+~+~+~

(Mindy’s phone vibrated and she immediately checked it. She turned to Leona.) Jaime sent me a text message. What is the deal between him and Lucy?

Jaime? Charlie’s son, is texting you? Don’t get entangled with that. He and Lucy are playing this sick platonic friendship game. (Reese sounded agitated.)

Yeah, they act like they are a couple but they are completely okay with each other dating other people.

I don’t know about being okay. I had a friend took Lucy out for a date when she was in law school; Jaime kind of got pissed and caused trouble.

Really?

I don’t know. I think Jamie is really interested in Mindy. (Leona finally joined the conversation.) But if Reese doesn’t want you to go out with him, then maybe you shouldn’t.

I don’t have personal objections about that, just an objective, rational, third-person looking-in opinion.  
~+~+~+~

(Leona was not interested in walking the Red Carpet, to Mindy’s disappointment. They slipped into the party through a side door. This was a more formal event than Charlie’s party so Mindy couldn’t freely mingle and stayed at Leona’s side for the early part of the night. Later on though, she found a quiet corner to sit down on. She thought she’ll just reserve her energy for the other party later. There is no use trying to get attention for herself in this boring group of people. She settled with texting Jamie. She somehow expected him to be an intellectual snob when she learned he teaches Latin, but is pleasantly surprised to find out that aside from the common contempt for Reese, he seems to have her kind of humor and good pop-culture awareness.) 

Still texting that loser Jamie? (Reese appeared on her side but Mindy ignored him.) Don’t be too obvious with your smug smile; that would be replaced by an embarrassed face when Lucy gets in the way and Jamie dumps you.

What is your problem, dude? The saying misery loves company is so totally you.

I’m not... I’m just… I’m giving you advice, okay. Those two are in love and they just don’t know it. You’ll just be caught in between.

Whatever. You don’t know what love is even if it’s staring you in the face.

What?

You know it’s true. And your mom said that you are just always finding fault instead of just letting yourself go and fall in love.

That’s not true.

You know, just go. If Jamie dumps me, I’ll be miserable and you can be happy, ok. (Mindy literally shoos him away with her hand gesture.)  
~+~+~+~

(Since Leona didn’t have a driver, Reese was forced to drop them off at the last party where they plan to spend the countdown. They just made arrangements for a pick up later on, as Reese was already grumpy and wanted to go home. They met up with Becca at the party and she immediately filled them up with gossip about people she already saw. The two older ladies seemed excited, but Mindy didn’t really know who they were talking about, so her interest wasn’t stirred up. She strained her neck to look for celebrities instead… and she couldn’t find any. Mindy is guessing that either these are really old movie stars or these are just a bunch of old New York Broadway actors. The operative word is old. She wouldn’t mind dating a struggling actor, as long as he is young and hot. But really, these group of people just looked like older and richer versions of the people she saw from the last party. I guess these are the celebrities in Leona’s circle. Mindy has to read society pages more. She was not that disappointed though. If she met someone really cute tonight, she might have to give Jamie up. So she thinks that the world is unfolding just right. Things were going well, until a really old man who should already be sleeping instead of attending this party started perving on her. Leona was “forced” to introduce her as her future daughter in law to politely extricate Mindy from the man’s presence. The introduction stuck afterwards though, and Mindy wondered if Leona sniffed coke in the ladies’ room again. Later, Leona looked at her phone and laughed loudly. She showed them Reese’s text inquiring on why he suddenly has a fiancée.)

Oh, the little curmudgeon couldn’t take a little joke. (Leona continued to chuckle)

(Mindy opened her phone and was surprised that Reese wasn’t scolding her for this. Well, maybe he already deleted her number. She doesn’t know what kind of trouble her fake engagement will cause, but Leona didn’t seem to have a problem with the lie. Mindy was also having fun being shown off her doctor-future-mom-of-Leona Lansing’s grandkids. Leona whispered that engagement break ups are all too common in this group of people anyway, so people will just assume that the prenup wasn’t settled if no wedding pans out. After the fireworks, they were surprised to find that Reese was picking them up from the party, without any driver. It was more surprising when he didn’t get on a shouting match with his mother. Actually, he didn’t get out of the car at all, probably wary of bumping into well wishers of his engagement. Mindy was about to climb on to the back of the car, when Leona stopped her.)

Just sit with Reese upfront. Becca is giving me a ride. (It is still weird when a powerful woman like Leona is proposing to hitch a ride with a friend, even when one has already seen her giggle like a teenage girl when she’s high.)

What’s the matter, mom? (Reese asked from his lowered window.)

I’m out of your way. Mindy’s place is already in your route, so there is no need to go out of the way for me. Becca is taking me home.

So you made me come out here, when I could already well have been sleeping and then you are not taking the ride with me?

It’s New Year’s Eve, Reese. You should be jumping off staircases so you’ll increase your height instead of sleeping, and, you still have to bring Mindy home.

Leona, there is no need. I can take a taxi. (Mindy moved away from Reese’s car.)

Come on dear, ignore Reese. He is grumpy when there is too much noise outside. (Leona dragged her then pushed her down to the front passenger seat.) Be safe kids.  
~+~+~+~

So have you heard? We are New York’s latest elite betrothed. People were asking why we haven’t run an announcement at the New York Post yet. And I think they find the ring you gave me tacky. (She flashed her finger, where an abomination of a huge purple winged butterfly lands on a thick bonze band.)

You really are out to ruin my reputation, aren’t you? (Reese responded, but instead of anger that Mindy expected, he sported a grin. They weren’t moving much because of the traffic.)

I don’t really think I have to do much. I’m just shedding light on another aspect of your cruelty, the no-fashion-sense taking advantage of a hot under-aged wide-eyed girl side.

Now that I am fully exposed, no one will take me.

Stop giving me too much credit. You have long been New York’s top ineligible bachelor.

I’m just too despicable right. You had to run away as fast as possible. (He was still grinning, but the atmosphere suddenly got heavy.)

You pushed me away, Reese. You just had to point out every little thing that you considered being out of the line. (Mindy said in a low voice sometime later.) And I was just fake breaking up with you, but you blew it all out of proportion.”

I guess my mom is right, huh, I find faults, instead of just letting myself fall.

Yeah.

You are wrong though. I know love when it is staring me at the face. (They were stuck in traffic and Reese was staring at her intensely. Mindy didn’t know how to react to that.) Don’t go out with Jamie. (Reese leaned and kissed her.) We’ll run an ad for Page 6 tomorrow.

What? (Mindy pushed away Reese who was leaning back in.) Get me decent ring first.


End file.
